The University of Louisiana at Lafayette is welcoming a familiar face as its inaugural vice president for Student Success.
Dr. Andy J. Benoit Jr., a seasoned higher education executive with more than 30 years of experience in enrollment management and student success leadership, has returned to UL Lafayette in the newly created position. The University of Louisiana System approved his appointment at its Feb. 26 meeting.
Benoit assumed his new role on March 1. He served from 2012 to 2016 as UL Lafayette’s director of Admissions and Recruitment and later as assistant vice president for Enrollment Management. During that time, the University set freshman and overall enrollment records.
The new vice president for Student Success position brings together the University’s former Division of Student Affairs and Division of Enrollment Management into a single, integrated unit focused on the entire student life cycle — from recruitment and access to retention, graduation and career outcomes.
“Student success does not begin at orientation and it does not end at Commencement,” said Dr. Ramesh Kolluru, UL Lafayette president. “By unifying enrollment, advising, student engagement and support services in a single division, we are creating a coordinated strategy that supports students at every stage. Dr. Benoit knows this campus well — its people, its strengths and its opportunities — and he understands what it takes to help our students thrive. We are pleased to welcome him back.”
Benoit previously served as vice chancellor for Enrollment Management at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, where he oversaw admissions, financial aid, scholarships, academic success, advising and enrollment. Under his leadership, SIUE achieved record application numbers, enrollment growth across multiple student populations and its highest first-to-second year retention rate in recent years.
Benoit also led recruitment, enrollment and student success efforts at institutions across the South and Midwest, including Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, Lander University, the University of New Orleans and LSU.
He holds a doctoral degree in educational leadership from Liberty University.
In his new role at UL Lafayette, Benoit will lead a comprehensive student success strategy that integrates recruitment planning, financial aid, advising, learning support services and career development. The vice president for Student Success position is designed to align academic programs with enrollment strategy, workforce needs and long-term institutional sustainability.
“I have long believed that student success is a shared responsibility,” Benoit said. “Having previously served at UL Lafayette, I know the dedication of its faculty and staff and the ambition of its students. The University has tremendous academic strength and community spirit. By unifying enrollment and student support efforts, we can build clear pathways that help students persist, graduate and launch meaningful careers. I am pleased to return to a place that is very special to me and begin this important work.”
Photo caption: Dr. Andy J. Benoit Jr. is the University of Louisiana at Lafayette's inaugural vice president for Student Success. (Photo credit: Doug Dugas / University of Louisiana at Lafayette)